Brent Venables outlines what he is looking for in Oklahoma spring game

First-year Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is just days away from his first spring game as the Sooners’ leader. This week, reporters asked the former Clemson assistant what he’ll take away from the scrimmage and what he’s looking for from an execution standpoint.

Spring games aren’t always well-attended affairs but things should be bustling in Norman this weekend. The Sooners will be honoring former quarterback Baker Mayfield with a Heisman Trophy statue at halftime.

“This is your first opportunity to have a game simulation with a great crowd and just a gameday-type environment,” Venables said. “You learn a lot when you’re put out there and you have to make a lot of decisions on your own. Sometimes you get exposed through that simulation. Just you find out where we are.”

Venables went on to list a litany of things the coaches will look for as a measure of success on Saturday.

“You want to see all the things that you’ve been demanding all spring… how we play, how we complete, running on and off the field, playing within the rules,” the former defensive coordinator said. “Fundamentals, protecting the football, no blown assignments, no turnovers… And manage the game the way that coaches on both sides want to manage the game.”

Venables shares game plan for final spring scrimmage

“We’re going to split the squad up,” Venables said. “I’m going to have a Red and White team. Dillon [Gabriel] will play a little bit of quarterback for both sides, but otherwise, we’re going to split it evenly – coaches as well. We’ll name the head coaches here another day, as well. We’ll let the players know by Thursday who’s on what team. Then we’ll have it all juiced up on different sidelines.”

Specifically, the former DC can’t wait to see new offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s offense on a public stage.

“It creates a sense of urgency about all the pre snap procedural things. From the sideline, to the field, to the communication to get lined up with urgency. I love it,” Venables said of Lebby’s offense. “I love all of it, because it challenges things that in some ways are out of your control as a coach, and the players need to buy into my pre-snap procedure… To me, the challenge every day, every play is to take away something to neutralize something that they want to do or they view as a strength.

“As I challenge both sides of the ball and challenge offense, because that’s great and they can get to get to a pace where, next thing you know, they’re dragging people up and down the field and making them quit. That’s the goal, that’s the mindset. You want to taste blood; you want to go for the jugular.”

Oklahoma’s Red vs. White spring game is at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.